A “small but mighty” horseriding community turned out in force at Tuesday’s Cromwell Community Board meeting (August 19) to have their say on the future of the town’s racecourse reserve.

Olivia Kerr of Omakau told the board she regularly travelled to Cromwell for children’s sport, with hockey and horseriding dominating her family’s weekly schedule.

She urged members to sign off on a final plan that not only recognised the equestrian community but also protected it.

As it stood, she said, the draft proposal was potentially “devastating” for Central Otago’s equestrian scene and its ability to host safe events.

“Horses allowed to mix with an uneducated public, untrained and unfamiliar dogs, noisy and unpredictable events - it’s a recipe for disaster,” she said.

Nearly 300 submissions were made in recent months on a draft plan by Central Otago District Council that proposes converting part of the racecourse reserve into sports fields to meet Cromwell’s growth.

Consultation also covered possible changes to green spaces at Alpha Street and Anderson Park, used by football, rugby and cricket clubs.

Gemma Smith of Queenstown, whose family is also heavily involved in horseriding, described the racecourse as a “regionally significant” venue for equestrians.

She said mixed-use of the site could only work with “genuine consultation, thoughtful governance, and balanced infrastructure planning”.

The suggestion that fireworks could be a part of community events hosted at a redeveloped racecourse was “bonkers”, she said.

Wakatipu Pony Club member Kirsty Green told the board she knew firsthand what could go wrong when riders shared space with other users - she broke her back after being thrown off a spooked horse at a venue in England.

Another submitter - the mother of both a rugby player and a horse rider - called the racecourse in its current state “a refuge for equestrians”.

“It is one of very few remaining safe spaces for us,” she said.

Responding to practical improvements suggested by Annalisa White on behalf of the Central Otago Pony Club, community board chair Anna Harrison said the consistent message she had heard was that there was a path forward 

The key was, “how can we work together and find solutions that support expansion of sports fields and look after equestrian activities so that they are safe and that there is enough space”, she said.

On behalf of the Cromwell Sports Club, which is based beside Anderson Park, Paula Clark warned against developing the racecourse at the expense of existing central sports facilities.

While acknowledging the need to cater for growth, she called the draft plan a “step back” and “flawed”, urging the council to consult more fully with sporting groups. 

The racecourse is currently leased to the Central Lakes Equestrian Club until 2042.

Deliberations will take place next week, with a final plan expected to be presented to the council in September.

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